A journalist with Doordarshan and two security officers were killed in a Communist terrorist attack on Tuesday morning, in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. The slain journalist, Achyutananda Sahu was working as a cameraperson with Doordarshan. The two policemen were identified as Sub Inspector Rudra Pratap, and Assistant Sub Inspector Manglu.
The Doordarshan crew was attacked by Communist-Maoists in the Nilavaya village in Aranpur area of the Dantewada, at about 11.20 am. The journalists were on the way to cover development projects undertaken by the government in Dantewada.
Chhattisgarh’s special director general of police (naxal operations) DM Awasthi said a Doordarshan team had come from Delhi to cover some development projects in Dantewada. A CRPF official said the journalists along with state police officers were moving from the Aranpur police station to a village in the interiors when their vehicles were ambushed by Maoists.
According to TV reports, another DD reporter was also injured in the ambush and has been taken to a nearby hospital. The evacuation process is underway and 111 CRPF battalion has been deployed in the area.
Condoling the deaths, DD News said in a tweet that they had deployed a camera team for election coverage includeing cameraman Achyutananda Sahu, Dhiraj Kumar and Mormukt Sharma. “The entire DD News family salutes his (Achyutananda Sahu) service and stands by his family in this hour of grief,” the public broadcaster tweeted.
“We stand in solidarity with family of the cameraman… We will take care of his family. We salute all those media persons who go for coverage in such dangerous situations and remember their bravery,” the Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore told to ANI.
